March 2023 Northtowne News

PBIS Mission Statement

I am prepared and ready to learn.

I will be respectful, responsible and focused.

I will make choices that focus on teaching and learning.

My hands are for helping, NOT hurting.

And my words are for encouraging.

I will be the best ‘me’ I can be.

March 8 - No School; Professional Development

March 12 - Daylight Saving Time begins; Set clocks forward one hour Saturday before bed

March 17 - African Cultures and Heritage Celebration for students during school

March 24 - End of 3rd Grading Period

March 28 - Family Movie Night; showing Inside Out

March 29 - No School; Records Day

You can keep up to date with the District wide school calendar by clicking here or using the button below.

It is very important that you let the school know if your student will be late or absent. Did you know that you can send an email to keep us informed? You can! You can also take a photo of the appointment excuse note and attach it to an email. No more wondering if your student remembered to turn in the paper. Contact us with all things concerning attendance here: attendance.northtowne@columbus.k12.oh.us

Please stay with your child prior to 8:30 a.m. and/or when there is no adult supervision. For the safety of your child, please wait until a staff member is outside.

Children should not be dropped off before 8:30.

We are already starting to get some unusually warmer weather this winter. In Ohio, we cannot count on this pattern continuing consistently. Cold mornings, freeze warnings, and frosty car windshields are still a possibility! Keep an eye on the weather forecast. Mornings might be chilly with an afternoon warm up or the day could stay cold. Please, send your student to school dressed for the weather. Layering clothing is a nice strategy. However, please label clothing with you student's name so it can be returned more easily in the event of showing up in our lost and found items.

If you need any assistance with getting the necessary outerwear for the Ohio weather, reach out to Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman. She will get the details of your needs and connect you with Northtowne Elementary or community based resources to help.

The Lost and Found has a large number of jackets and coats continuing to accumulate. If your student has lost of any of these items at school please contact the classroom teacher or Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman for assistance with attempting to locate items.

Contact the Family Ambassador at: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text 614-859-9654

Hello Families, Caregivers, and Students,

The weather seems to be saying that Spring has arrived even if the official first day of Spring isn't until March 20th. In this part of the world, we adjust our clocks for Daylight Savings Time. This means you need to remember to set your clocks forward one hour the night of March 11. Cell phones will do this automatically, but many clocks in cars or kitchen appliances will have to be changed manually.

I was so pleased to see the great Black History Month performances put on by our students who had been working with Mrs. Weaver. Performances and the arts do bring life to learning and we really did see a wonderful example of that. Everyone involved deserves congratulations. Mrs. Weaver especially deserves congratulations and appreciation as the teacher planning and coordinating this event. It was wonderful!

Northtowne has done very well with getting the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA) administered to our students. The vast majority of our students who are English Language Learners (ELL) have already completed all part of the test! I am very proud of our staff who were a driving force in making this happen. Once again, I would like to remind families that on March 30th we will pause all tutoring at the school as the window for End of Year (EOY) testing through the Ohio State Tests (OST) will be open March 31-May 12. Our students from 3rd through 5th grade will take these EOY tests to continue to document their academic progress. Then, our kindergarten through 3rd grade students will take EOY tests when the iReady assessment window opens May 1-June 1. This iReady assessment will be an additional opportunity for our 3rd grade students to demonstrate passing scores for the 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee (3GRG).

We are already nearing the end of the third quarter of the school year! I hope that all of our students will put in the focus required to end the quarter strong and ready to spring into our final quarter of the school year. I know our Northtowne students have it in them to perform well on the EOY testing. They are also very much in the process of working to be be able to develop into bright, responsible young ladies and young men. They are well on their way to showing those qualities that are the goal of the CCS Portrait of a Graduate.

I hope all of our Northtowne Knights have a lucky March!

Mr. Taylor

Top: Toni Morrison, Maxine Hong Kingston, Jovita Idar, Maya Angelou
Middle: Gerda Lerner, Gloria Steinem, Winona La Duke, Lillian Hellman
Bottom: Betty Soskin, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, Marjory Stoneman Douglas ​

March is Women’s History Month. Did you know each year a different theme is selected for Women’s History Month? This year the theme is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." The National Women’s History Alliance chose this theme because it " honors women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting the human condition decade after decade.” The National Women's History Alliance further explains, that, "from the earliest storytellers through pioneering journalists, [women's] experiences have been captured by a wide variety of artists and teachers. These include authors, songwriters, scholars, playwrights, performers, and grandmothers throughout time. Women have long been instrumental in passing on our heritage in word and in print to communicate the lessons of those who came before us. Women’s stories, and the larger human story, expand our understanding and strengthen our connections with each other." Take a few moments for an internet search with your student to look up information about some of the women in the photo above. Also ask your student which women in their lives inspire them and why.

The 4th grade students in Mrs. Weaver's and Mrs. Weinman's classes are always busy. Students are getting prepared for their end of year testing cycle. In 4th grade we are working on division in math. Writing samples are gradually getting longer as we expand ideas into multi-paragraph statements. Mrs. Weinman's class in particular wrote short illustrated books about immigration stories. After reading a and retelling a story of immigration, students wrote about their own immigration story or the story of someone they know. What a lovely way to share and learn about different life experiences!

At the end of February, Northtowne held the first all school assembly since the COVID-19 outbreak! After weeks of preparation, Mrs. Weaver led students across several grade levels in a Black History Month Presentation. The whole school gathered in the school gym to watch the presentation about the valuable contributions Black Americans have made to our country and culture. Mrs. Weaver even sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Who knew she has such a lovely singing voice? The presentation was then reprised in the evening for families to come and watch. Thank you student participants and Mrs. Weaver!

Kindergarteners and 1st graders celebrated the 100th day of school during February. It is a big milestone to know you have made it this far into the school year! Students and some staff had fun with dress up and there were activities, especially with counting, to make the school day especially fun.

In March we are going to grow our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) activities. We started out getting the students' curiosity piqued by placing a large tree cut out on the wall in the hallway across from the restrooms. We are using this this tree to show how students can "Let Your Kindness Bloom." Each grade level was given a unique color of Post-It Notes and asked to take a few minutes each day for students identify the kind things they noticed classmates doing that day. These notes are then stuck to the tree branches to be the springtime blossoming of the tree. As you can see from the photo below we have some students who have been very excited to name the kind and thoughtful actions they see happening around them!

A great way to support this at home is to ask your student about the kind things that they noticed at school. You can also ask them to tell about something kind they did for someone else that day. Families who really want to take this concept to next level might make a kindness jar or basket to drop in notes when family members notice each other performing kind acts. These could be read together regularly at the dinner table, as part of the bedtime routine, or at some other time of day that makes sense for your family.

Things are pretty quiet this month in the office of the school nurse. Nurse Brandi is using that calm to work on plans for some opportunities that she hopes to be able to announce next month. As always, if you have health related concerns for your student please call or email Nurse Brandi.

Phone: 380.997.2099

Email: blzeiter@columbus.k12.oh.us

Thank you so much for your support and involvement with your child’s learning. Whether it’s conferences, attending the family meetings, or a quick chat throughout the day, we appreciate your involvement and efforts to build the lines of communication between home and school.

Lots of school communication and information is in the Parent Portal. If you need help accessing the Parent Portal please contact our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She can even link families to interpreters (Bilingual Engagement Liaisons or BEL) to help with understanding the Parent Portal set up process. Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text: 614-859-9654

Virtual Family Engagement Sessions are typically scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 6:oo p.m. Sessions rotate through various topics.

THURSDAY, March 9 "Summer Opportunity #2 - Elementary" - The countdown to Summer is underway, and parents need to start planning now for their children’s summer fun. During the month of March, the Columbus City Schools Engagement team is sharing a wide variety of summer opportunities, all leading up to our in-person Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair. During this Thursday’s Virtual Family Engagement Session, we spotlight summer opportunities for our elementary-age children with our partners from: Ohio College Advantage, Marburn Academy, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio (Camp Oty’Okwa), and the Buckeye Ranch.

• Thursday, March 9, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Click here to RSVP for this session (https://forms.gle/EzxEGYDnkVrkGTGAA)
  or click here to join the session directly starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

TUESDAY, March 14 "CCS Summer Experience" - We’re getting excited for Summer in Columbus City Schools. The 2023 Summer Experience is a summer of exciting school and community-based learning experiences… and it’s FREE to all PreK through 12th Grade students. Registration is set to open, so we’re devoting our Tuesday Virtual Family Engagement Session to giving you a sneak peek, answering all your questions, and telling you how to sign up. This year’s Summer Experience includes fun project-based learning that students and families have been able to enjoy through our Pathway Express focuses: Entrepreneurship, Family & Consumer Sciences, Fine Arts, STEM, and World Languages & Cultures.

• Tuesday, March 14, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Click here to RSVP for this session (https://forms.gle/EzxEGYDnkVrkGTGAA)
  or click here to join the session directly starting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

THURSDAY, March 16 "Summer Opportunity #3 - Specialized Camps" - The countdown to Summer is underway, and parents need to start planning now for their children’s summer fun. During the month of March, the Columbus City Schools Engagement team will share a wide variety of summer opportunities, all leading up to our in-person Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair. During this Thursday’s Virtual Family Engagement Session, we spotlight summer opportunities for our exceptional learners - Special Education (adaptive camps), Gifted & Talented, and English Language Learners - with our partners from: A Kid Again, Learning 4 Life Farm (LTC), Remember Us Urban Scouts, Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, and the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

• Thursday, March 16, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Click here to RSVP for this session (https://forms.gle/EzxEGYDnkVrkGTGAA)
  or click here to join the session directly starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

TUESDAY, March 21 "OSU Summer Camps" - Give me an “O-H” for Summer. During the month of March, the Columbus City Schools Engagement team is sharing a wide variety of summer opportunities, all leading up to our in-person Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair. During this special Tuesday’s Virtual Family Engagement Session, we spotlight summer opportunities from our partners at The Ohio State University. Hear about summer fun provided by the OSU Extension Office 4-H program, the Center for Automotive Research, the College of Nursing, OSU’s world languages and cultures program, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, and the OSU Philosophy and Critical Thinking Summer Camp. “I-O.”

• Tuesday, March 21, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Click here to RSVP for this session (https://forms.gle/EzxEGYDnkVrkGTGAA)
  or click here to join the session directly starting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

THURSDAY, March 23 "Summer Opportunity #4 - Middle and High School" - The countdown to Summer is underway, and parents need to start planning now for their children’s summer fun. During the month of March, the Columbus City Schools Engagement team has been sharing a wide variety of summer opportunities, all leading up to our in-person Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair this Saturday. During this Thursday’s Virtual Family Engagement Session, we spotlight summer opportunities for Middle and High School students - including opportunities for Internship, Community Service, and Employment - with our partners at Community Refugee & Immigration Services, Central Community House (Transit Arts), Think Make Live Youth, IMPACT, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the Ohio Farm Bureau.

• Thursday, March 23, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Click here to RSVP for this session (https://forms.gle/EzxEGYDnkVrkGTGAA)
  or click here to join the session directly starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

FUTURE SESSIONS

• Tuesday March 28 - Transition Fair - Session #1
• Thursday, March 30 - Transition Fair - Session #2
• No Virtual Sessions on April 4, April 6, April 11, and April 13 (Spring Break)

Our sessions are recorded and posted on our Virtual Family Engagement Session Library in case you are unable to attend.

The 2023 Summer Experience kicks off on June 20, and it’s FREE to all PreK through 12 Columbus City Schools students. We’re excited to provide CCS students and families with a summer of exciting school and community-based learning experiences.

This year’s Summer Experience includes similar project-based learning students and families have been able to enjoy through our Pathway Express focuses: Entrepreneurship, Family & Consumer Sciences, Fine Arts, STEM, and World Languages & Cultures.

Registration, through your Parent Portal account, opens March 15th!

Questions? Contact the Office of Extended Learning: 614-365-5010 or ExtendedLearning@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Check out the link below to go to a Smore dedicated to information about Summer Camps and Opportunities. This Smore will continue to be updated as the Department of Communications and Engagement gets more information on programs being offered in Central Ohio. The Smore linked is updated as new information becomes available.

The Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) educational savings account program provides funds for students and families to use on various enrichment and educational activities, including tutoring, day camps, music lessons, study skills services and field trips.

Parents and guardians can apply through the Ohio Department of Education for a $500 educational savings account to be used to pay for services that help their child learn a social/emotional skill or provide them with an academic opportunity to make up for a learning loss that occurred due to Covid-19. Income verification is required. Qualifying parents and guardians will receive an email from Merit International, Inc. notifying them of their award, and inviting them to accept their digital access credential, or “merit.” This credential will be used as the login for the Ohio ACE app.

Organizations offering approved programs or services can apply to become a Qualified Educational Service Provider. Once verified by Merit, the organization will be listed in the Ohio ACE Education Marketplace. Parents and guardians can browse the Ohio ACE Education Marketplace to see relevant service providers by category, grade, and location. These organizations have been verified as offering approved programs and services.

Would you like a more secure financial future for you and your family?

Take your financial wellness to the next level. Register now for the MoneyW!SE personal finance course. During the 6-week course, you’ll learn skills and practices that will help you to effectively manage and develop better habits in the following:

• Budgeting & Saving
• Establishing and Repairing Credit
• Creating a Financial Plan
• Setting Financial Goals

The MoneyW!SE program will also expand your financial knowledge about employment benefits, life insurance, investments, will preparation, and more!

Course Offerings:

March 20 - April 26, 2023

Mondays & Wednesdays 10AM - 12PM

Classes held at

New Directions Career Center

2760 Airport Dr. Ste. 125

Columbus, OH 43219

Additional Questions:

Contact us at ndcc@newdirectionscc.org

About the Tax Time Program

• The Tax Time Program is housed within United Way of Central Ohio (UWCO), but Tax Time is a larger coalition.

• Tax Time is a network of nonprofit, business, and government organizations that works to provide free tax assistance services and connect low- and moderate-income households to financial resources. In the nine years since its inception, Tax Time volunteers have prepared and processed nearly 140,000 returns.

• Their goal is to help those households achieve financial stability. Our work centers on maximizing the impact of that moment by assisting and empowering those who need it most across central Ohio.

• Tax Time combines three free tax preparation programs under a single umbrella: 1) United Way of Central Ohio’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, 2) AARP’s Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program, and 3) the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ Ohio Benefit Bank.

* These three partners operate more than 40 sites throughout Franklin County, where trained and certified volunteers prepare federal and state tax returns from January through April. Other lead partners include the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and HandsOn Central Ohio.

Benefits of the Tax Time Program

• The program raises awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), provides access to free, high-quality tax assistance and connects people to a network of services, including financial education opportunities that help them plan for their future.
• Why the program is important

• Tax Time has a 98% accuracy rate on tax returns, which is higher than paid preparers.
• Over 400,000 people in Franklin County cannot meet basic needs
• Tax credits help bridge the gap between what working families earn and what they need to survive
• Every household served by Tax time saves $250 in tax preparation fees through their free services
• Their preparers help households claim the maximum amount of credits they qualify for, such as Economic Impact Payments ("Stimulus Checks"), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• Results
• Tax Time served over 10,800 clients in 2022
• Tax time refunded over $9.6 million to clients in 2022
• Tax Time saved over $2.1 million in tax preparation fees for clients in 2022
• Since 2006, Tax Time has served over 163,000 clients
• Since 2006, Tax Time has refunded over $176.4 million

We are creating and updating a Resource Center. We hope that families will find useful information regarding a variety of community supports, should they be needed. Currently, you can find supports for housing, food, and clothing needs. There is also a flyer for "LSS 211" that will take take you to a search tool for a wide variety of supports to address a wide variety of possible needs. The Resource Center is located between the school front doors, and to the right of the office window.

If there is information that you need, but don't see available, please reach out to our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She will be happy to help you locate services to meet your needs. mailto:sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or 614-859-9654

Send a note to let us know what you thought, make suggestions or ask a question. We would love to hear from you. Please send a note to your child’s teacher or send a message.

Contributors:

Austin Taylor, Principal

Phone: 614-365-5488

Fax: 614-365-5487

Email: ataylor4@columbus.k12.oh.us

Sarah Bowman, Family Ambassador

614-859-9654

Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us

Susan Bryant, Building Coach

614-365-5488

Email: sbryant9569@columbus.k12.oh.us

Frank Beickelman, Grant Provider

614-365-5488

Email: frankmindfulleducation@gmail.com